Day 34: Craters of the Moon NM
Trip Start
Jun 21, 2008
1
19
42
Trip End
Ongoing
Craters of the Moon National Monument,
Idaho,
United States
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Started the day with a bear jam. On our way out we saw lots of cars and people stopped on the side of the road. We stopped too, wanted to see what was out in the meadow. We heard yesterday from a gentleman that a grizzly bear has been seen in that area for several mornings. Sure enough, it was a grizzly bear. The bear was far away but clearly visible. Our first grizzly bear of the trip. Michael took a few pictures.
Continued on scenic Hwy 89 out of the park, stopping at a few overlooks. Did not see any eagles along the Snake River, but did have great views of the Teton Range. Stopped on Jackson, WY for gas.
Drove on to Idaho Falls. Stopped at a Starbucks for a break; wrote postcards and journaled and put pictures on the laptop.
One the drive to Craters of the Moon NM, we stopped briefly at EBR-1 which is the world's first nuclear reactor. I took a couple of quick pictures, but did not go inside for the tour, Amy was waiting in the car. The rest of the drive was uneventful and boring. We did stop for groceries and ice in the small town of Arco. Arco's claim to fame is that it is the first town to be powered by atomic energy.
Around 4pm we arrived at Craters of the Moon NM, picked a campsite, and went to the visitor center. The weather was hot and a strong wind was blowing. We were able to leave the rain-fly off the tent and see the stars before falling asleep.
I am trying to get my Junior Ranger bade so we went to the evening Ranger Program.
Animal Sightings for Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP: bison, coyote, pika, deer, grizzly bear, heron, elk, fox, moose, marmot, and osprey.
Day 35 - Craters of the Moon NM and Preserve - July 25, 2008 - Friday
Today was a good day. It was a bit hot and dry today. At 9am we rode our bikes out 4 miles to the morning Ranger Walk. The Ranger Walk was very good and informative. We circled a volcano and learned about the lava flows, plants, and animals of the area. The bike ride ha a long steep hill that we had to walk partway up. Finally took the bikes down from on top of the car. Our first bike ride.
After lunch we attended a guided Cave Walk with another Ranger. We went in Beauty Cave which was about 50 degrees, compared to outside (90 degrees) it felt like heaven and was a great relief. After the cave walk we checked out Dewdrop Cave by ourselves and then went to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center has AC and we watched 2 videos and read all the info. Some postcards were purchased and then we went back to camp.
It was tough weathering the heat back at camp. Amy handled it better than me. Once the sun started going down the temperature began to fall to a more acceptable range.
We had talked about staying 2 or more days, but I think we'll be heading on tomorrow. Where to? Who knows? We've discussed going North to Sun Valley, going South to Shoshone, ID, or staying 1 day at a nearby RV park that has free showers, wifi, and breakfast.
We learned that 85 octane gasoline is good for your vehicle in higher elevations. Gas stations in the mountainous areas were all selling 85 and we did not know why; we are used to seeing 87 octane.
Day 36 - Leaving Craters of the Moon NM, Jerome/Twin Falls KOA - July 26, 2008 - Saturday
We packed up and drove the loop road through Craters of the Moon NM, and hike to the top of Inferno Cone. You could see the whole park from the top. The view was nice. Afterward, we went to the Visitor Center where I was sworn in as a Junior Ranger and received a badge.
After Craters of the Moon NM, we started driving towards Shoshone, ID. Amy called the Twin Falls/Jerome KOA to see if they had any tent camping available. They did, so we reserved a spot. The KOA is close to Shoshone and other places we might want to go. The KOA is nice, too because it has showers, wifi, and a pool.
On the drive we had to detour around a parade at the town of Carey. A pilot car took us on a very dirty and dusty road. The dust kicked up was so think that I could not see the car in front of us. We made it through.
We stopped briefly in Shoshone and I showed Amy where we used to live. We also walked along the main road. A sign indicated that the fair and rodeo was happening and we decided to come back at 8pm for the rodeo. Some things in Shoshone were still the same, and some were new.
When we arrived at the KOA we checked-in and reserved a Kabin with AC for the next day. We hung out, read, used the internet, went swimming, and took showers. We had dinner at the Shoshone Snack Bar (memories), and went to the rodeo. The rodeo was lots of fun. We saw steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, and the crowing of the new Teen Queen. I got to take lots of action photos which was fun.
